With the July Fourth holiday fast approaching, the timing couldn’t be worse. News 4’s Lynda Baquero reports.
Several beaches in Westchester County and three on Long Island were ordered to be closed to swimmers after bacteria was found in the waters that could pose a health risk.
With summer heat already here and the Fourth of July holiday coming up, many families might be looking to spend time along the water to help keep cool. And as inviting as the banks of the Hudson River may look in Sleep Hollow, no swimming was allowed on Friday at Philipse Manor Beach.
That's because it, along with Croton Point Beach in Croton-on-Hudson, was closed by the county after regular weekly testing for enterococcus bacteria, which had been churned up in the water due to rain and wind.
"They did come up with elevated levels. We resampled. They came up elevated again so that point we did a closure on the beaches," said Christopher Ericson, the deputy commissioner for the Westchester County Department of Health.
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The two beaches will remain closed for the weekend and are expected to reopen Monday, Ericson said, assuming testing doesn't turn up elevated levels of bacteria.
It comes as three beaches on Long Island were also closed to swimming on Friday due to excess bacteria found in the waters. Asharoken Beach and Steers Beach in Northport and the Huntington beach Community Association Beach in Centerport were ordered to close temporarily.
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All three will reopen if later testing shows bacteria levels have subsided.
Dr. Gregson Pigott, the Suffolk County health commissioner, said that going into the water there can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses as well as possible eye, ear, nose and throat infections.
